Just one chance just one breath
by The Red Fedora
Summary: Slightly AU. In response to a song fiction challenge from ffreaderwriter. Oliver was definitely in a bind…and the irony of the situation was that he had done it to himself.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: The characters belong to Smallville…I don't own them though I wish I did._

_Author's note: This story is in response to a second song fiction challenge by ffreaderwriter…though this one was more inspired by the song instead of actually following the song. The song is Far Away by Nickelback. The story is slightly AU only because I have not yet seen Season 10. _

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><p><em>Just one chance, just one breath, just in case there's just one left - Nickelback 'Far Away'<em>

A heavy sigh echoed though the small dank space, followed by a low humorless laugh. Oliver carefully shifted his precarious footing in the soft muck beneath the dark murky water, grimacing as the mud oozed deeper into his boots. He raised his eyes toward the circle of dim light a mere five feet beyond his reach. His eyes lowered to study the wall of algae covered green stones that lined the well shaft…well that had lined _most _of the shaft. An angry scar of exposed red clay marred a large portion of the wall above where he had attempted to climb out nearly a half hour earlier, the missing stones lost somewhere in the ice cold water below.

He slumped against the chiseled rocks behind him, ignoring the green muck which had begun to weave itself into his blonde locks. The water was beginning to rise steadily thanks to the early spring thunderstorm which raged over head. A tight grin crossed his features as he calculated the rate at which it would take it to reach the top. Perhaps he could just swim out. The grin faded into a pained grimace as he shifted his left shoulder. He was fairly certain it was dislocated, a souvenir of his earlier escape attempt. Oliver shifted his feet carefully once more in an attempt to increase the flow of blood through his rapidly numbing legs and drew his jacket tighter against his chest as he teeth began to chatter. He was definitely in a bind…and the irony of the situation was that he had done it to himself.

The day had begun well enough. It was the first day of the team's first vacation in over a month…a very long month. Due to the nature of the 'project' they were currently involved with, an escape to his island had been out of the question. So he had suggested the next best thing, his family's private cabin in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in southern Virginia. Despite the late hour of their arrival the night before, he had woken with the dawn eager to revisit some of his old childhood haunts…and eager to share them with his Sidekick. Something had changed over the past few months…at least for him. He was falling, fast and hard. It was difficult for him to pinpoint exactly when he had begun to feel more than friendship toward the snarky petite blonde, but he did know that he loved her. He loved the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled. He loved the way she crinkled her nose when she was deep in concentration. He even loved the way she always seemed to smell of rich coffees…though he did wish she would sleep more and drink less. So many times he had nearly told her how he felt but something had held him back.

He had snuck into her room just after dawn with a cup of coffee as a peace offering for waking her so early and had, surprisingly, managed to convince her to get up and meet him outside. He would never forget the priceless look on her face when she first laid eyes on the horses he had waiting for them. Fear would have been one word for it, though he would never voice that opinion. After a bit of convincing, which included the promise of unlimited coffee from her favorite shop in the city when they returned, she had finally agreed to let him help her up into the saddle of the gentle white mare. She had actually begun to relax and enjoy the ride as they wandered the trails he had ridden with his mother as a child, long ago.

He had nearly kissed her when they had paused for a picnic breakfast on the edge of the overlook…she had looked so beautiful, so peaceful...but he had waited too long and the moment had been lost as his horse had pulled free from its tether and had led him in a merry chase. The sound of her laughter as she watched him had been worth the effort spent. He remembered her apprehension toward the clustering storm clouds as they had stopped to rest the horses on their way back down to the cabin. He had noticed the old ruins of an old miner's cabin at the edge of the clearing and had convinced her they had plenty of time to explore before the storm struck…and they had…until he had gotten careless and forgotten to watch his footing. Vegetation had grown up around the mouth of the old well, and the rotted boards which covered it had snapped easily as he had stepped squarely into their center. He attributed his training to the fact that he had managed to land without too much injury, but the slick walls had prevented him from escape from the dark pit.

A flash of lightning lit the dim interior of the shaft, followed by a loud ground-shaking boom of thunder. His chest tightened. He had convinced Chloe to go for help shortly before the storm had struck. She had refused at first, attempting to find a way to rescue him that did not involve leaving him, but in the end she had finally complied…the storm had struck shortly after she had left. She was an inexperienced rider on unfamiliar trails…in a raging storm. One scenario after another flashed through his mind as the storm continued to grow in strength and fury. Oliver closed his eyes and forced the thoughts from his mind…it would do no good to panic. She was a resourceful one, his Sidekick; she would be fine.

He on the other hand…the water had risen to mid-thigh as was continuing to rise. It was unlikely that he would be able to wait for it to raise him toward the top as the cold temperature of the water, combined with the coolness of the air around him made it more likely that he would be hypothermic long before then. Oliver shifted, pressing back against the wall. A cold wet splatter of mud dropped from above and landed against his good arm. He looked up sharply as a second flash of bright lightning lit the sky. His dark eyes widened in horror as they focused on the wide patch of exposed clay near the top of the shaft. Another splatter fell as the wall began to bulge inward as the clay swelled beneath the relentless rain above.

His eyes searched wildly for an escape…but found none. There was no way out, nowhere left to run. After his string of near death escapes from bullets, poison, explosions and psychopaths bent on revenge, it was ironic that he would meet his end this way…buried by mud at the bottom of an old well as a result of his own carelessness. He closed his eyes as a wave of sadness and regret washed through him. He was not afraid to die, he had made peace with death long ago when he had chosen to don the green leather suit…but he did regret never telling Chloe the truth about how he felt… now it was too late. He let out a yell of pent-up frustration that ended in a pained gasp as he jarred his injured shoulder against the crumbling wall. Tears of pain mixed with the rain as it ran in rivets down his pinched features. A splash echoed in the small space as bricks began to fall from above as the ground began to give way and he raised his eyes to the storm dimmed sky one last time.

_Goodbye, Sidekick. I'm so sorry._

And then the world closed in around him in a wave of mud and stone.


	2. Chapter 2

_Keep breathing…Hold onto me…never let me go. – Nickelback 'Far Away'_

A pair of chocolate colored eyes slid open slowly as their owner groggily took in his surroundings. His eyes narrowed slightly in confusion as they swept slowly over a familiar dimly lit room...his room. For a brief moment, Oliver considered the likelihood of whether or not he was hallucinating…or dead. He winced as he slowly became aware of a dull throbbing in his skull. No definitely not dead…death would not hurt this much. He relaxed back against the soft pillows of his bed as he attempted to get his muddled mind to clear. The sky was dark beyond the glass of the French doors which led out onto the deck of the cabin, and a soft rain was falling against the windows. He frowned slightly as he watched the rain and then his dark eyes widened as he pushed upright suddenly…or at least attempted to. Oliver slumped back against the soft pillows with a tight groan as a wave of blinding pain radiated through his shoulder and up into his skull. He clenched his eyes shut tightly as he attempted to ride through it. He heard the sound of movement to his right and after a moment, the pain began to ease to a manageable level.

"Let that be a lesson to you. Don't go undoing all of my hard work." A soft familiar voice soothed.

He felt a large cool hand gently encompass his wrist as another settled briefly against his forehead. He opened his eyes slowly and a familiar face swam slowly into view. Emil smiled reassuringly though his eyes remained focused on the large watch adorning his arm, and this time Oliver became aware of a few things he had surprisingly missed a moment ago, such as the fact that his left arm was bound securely to his chest and the IV line which ran from the back of his right hand to a bag hanging from the corner of the headboard of the bed. His eyes moved back to his friend as Emil nodded to himself and released his wrist. The doctor carefully readjusted the thick quilts over his patient with the quick efficiency of a medical professional before meeting Oliver's eyes with a world weary look.

"You boys never do anything by half, do you? You can't even vacation without staying out of trouble." Emil admonished softly as he settled into the chair beside the bed and removed his glasses, rubbing a weary hand over his face. "Leave it to their leader to fall into a well."

Oliver swallowed thickly around a throat that felt as if he had been swallowing cotton. "How?" came a hoarse whisper.

A slight grin crossed the doctor's face as he reached forward and retrieved a water bottle with a straw from the nightstand beside the bed. Oliver accepted it gratefully and took a slow careful sip, relaxing back against the pillows with a soft sigh as Emil returned the bottle to the stand. "How did you end up in a well? I can't wait to hear that myself. However…if you are wondering how you got _out_ of the well, from what I hear you have Clark to thank for that one." The doctor's kind eyes grew serious as he continued. "He apparently heard Chloe's cries for help and arrived just in time to save you from being buried alive."

Oliver shifted and Emil's hand shot out and settled heavily against his good shoulder, stilling his movements. "Chloe…"

Emil smiled reassuringly as he removed his hand. "Chloe's fine. She's a little shaken and I think it will be a while before she sets foot near another horse, but she's alright. Better than you. I treated you for a dislocated shoulder, mild hypothermia and a nice sized lump on the back of that hard head of yours, no concussion by the way. I gave you a mild sedative so we could reset your shoulder." He raised a hand to halt Oliver's complaint. "I know you don't like them, but I didn't have much of a choice. You were delirious when Clark brought you back; in fact, I believe you owe Victor an apology for the shiner you gave him before I arrived. I also started you on an antibiotic against anything that might have been swimming in that well and updated your tetanus booster." He paused as he considered the younger man. "You were lucky."

Oliver nodded slightly. He knew it.

A soft noise drew his attention toward the doorway of the room and a slow smile crossed his lips as his dark eyes settled on Chloe. He faintly registered Emil's movement as the man rose from the chair and made his way toward the door. The doctor paused briefly as he accepted the steaming mug she offered. Oliver felt a brief flash of annoyance as the two appeared to carry on a silent conversation, though as far as he knew neither possessed telepathic abilities. Emil turned with weary grin as if he knew what his patient had been thinking.

"I'll be back in an hour or so to remove the IV." He remarked, pausing in the doorway. "By the way, you owe me a vacation. I am thinking deep sea fishing, somewhere tropical and expensive."

Chloe snorted softly as the man left the room, closing the door behind him. Oliver's grin faded slightly as his eyes scanned her carefully, assuring himself that she was fine...at least physically. Her normally vibrant green eyes were red-rimmed and slightly puffy as if she had been crying. He watched silently as she crossed the room and placed her mug on the table beside the bed. He felt his heart skip a beat as she bypassed the chair Emil had vacated, instead choosing to sit on the edge of the bed beside him.

"Hi." She said softly as she took his good hand in hers. "How are you feeling?"

Oliver gently brushed the back of her small hand with his thumb as his dark eyes studied her. Her bright smile may have fooled some, but it could not fool him. "Lucky. I feel very lucky." He answered as he raised her hand gently to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

Chloe nodded briefly as she averted her eyes. She raised her free hand and gently brushed her fingers through his hair. Oliver let his eyes drift shut as he relaxed beneath her touch. They opened once more as she let out a slightly strangled laugh. "You still have mud in your hair."

Oliver frowned slightly as she refused to meet his eyes. Her green eyes shone with unshed tears and exhaustion was suddenly evident in every line of her face and frame. He gently freed his hand from her tight grasp and hooked his fingers beneath her chin, turning it toward him. "Chloe." He soothed softly, as her eyes met his. "It's okay. I'm alright. We're safe."

A shudder ran through her small frame and she let out a soft sob as tears began to run down her face. Oliver drew her gently down against his side as the flood gates opened and she began to sob as the events of the day finally found their release. He wrapped his good arm around her tightly as she melted into his side, burying her face against his good shoulder. Oliver let out a deep sigh as he pressed his face against her soft hair and closed his eyes, relishing the fact that despite all odds, they had made it through another mishap relatively unscathed. He pressed a gentle kiss against her hair as the sobs began to subside slowly, after a long moment, and ran a hand soothingly along her back as she settled closer. A last tremor ran through her as she moved her head to lie against his chest, listening to the soothing rhythm of his strong heart.

"Ollie?"

He shifted slightly as his hand moved from her back to gently stroke her hair. "Hmm?"

She pulled back slightly and looked up into his dark eyes. "Back in the clearing…before the horse got free."

Despite the soft uncertainly that colored her delicate features, he could not help but smile as he followed her thoughts. His eyes dropped to her lips before rising to meet her eyes once more. He grinned as her eyes darkened slightly.

"I love you, Chloe." He stated softly as he raised his hand to gently cradle her face and a warm rush rose within his chest at her answering smile.

Later neither could say who exactly moved first as their lips met in a soft tender kiss. Oliver slid his hand to cradle the back of her neck and gently pulled her closer. She came willingly, parting her lips beneath his in an invitation to deepen the kiss. He smiled against her lips as he tilted his head slightly and accepted her offer. He winced as she jarred his injured shoulder and before he could protest, Chloe pulled away.

He smiled ruefully as she gently pressed her fingers against his mouth and grinned. "Perhaps we should finish this conversation when you are feeling better." She teased gently, before removing her fingers and brushing a soft chaste kiss against his lips. She settled back against him, curling into his side as he wrapped his good arm securely around her.

"Ollie?" she whispered softly after a moment. "I love you too."

Oliver felt her smile against his chest as he tightened his arm around her and pressed a soft kiss against her hair. "I know, Sidekick." He whispered softly against her hair as he allowed his eyes to drift shut and followed her slowly into a restful sleep, secure in the knowledge that she was safe. They both were.

Emil returned a short time later to find them sound asleep, wrapped in one another's arms. A soft smile graced his face as he removed the IV from Oliver's arm and then covered Chloe with a quilt from the foot of the bed. He paused in the doorway for a brief moment, his eyes on the couple, before he shut off the lights and eased the door close quietly behind him. The doctor shook his head as a wide grin crossed his weary features.

"It's about time."

_Author's note: Thanks for the reviews! You are all too funny..of course I wasn't going to leave Oliver in the well – or kill him off. I am a sucker for happy endings._


End file.
